Granby Fine Arts Coordinator Takes New Job

GRANBY — After nine years as one of the town's biggest promoters of the arts, Leslie Imse has resigned as the school district's fine arts coordinator to take a job in Farmington.

``It was a very difficult decision,'' Imse said. ``I love this town, I love the people and I will miss the kids.''

In her new position, Imse will direct the concert choir at Farmington High School and work as an instructor in a music technology lab at the school. Imse will also work with students on voice lessons.

Imse said the lab, which allows students to use computers to make music, was a motivating factor in her decision to take the job.

``There's a commitment on behalf of Farmington to look into the future and what's happening with music,'' she said.

Imse said she accepted the job last week and immediately told Superintendent Gwen Van Dorp and other school administrators, but said she did not make her departure widely known because students were in the middle of exams.

``I didn't think that it was right to draw attention to myself during exams,'' Imse said.

Rosemary Walcott, a teacher whose son has worked with Imse for the past seven years, said Imse has always been an innovator in the programs she teaches and a great motivator of her students.

``We're losing someone who has a tremendously high energy level and has a broad picture of where she wants a fine arts program to go,'' Walcott said.

One of Imse's more prominent accomplishments is the creation of the Artist in Residence program, which brings professional musicians to the schools to work with and perform for students. Imse also helped found the Granby Music Society, a nonprofit group that oversees the school program and also brings musicians to town for performances.

Imse said the program is very valuable in a community like Granby because without it, residents would not normally be exposed to the types of performers who have been brought to town.

Imse said her decision to leave was pushed somewhat by her belief that the town's tax base is not large enough to support the arts. For example, Imse cited the lack of an auditorium for school concerts. There are now 130 students in the town's concert choir and there is no place in town large enough to accommodate the group.

Imse also cited the lack of music teachers in the district. The state recommends one music teacher for every 400 elementary students, but Granby has only one teacher for its 900 students.

``What finally happened is that I asked myself what would be the optimum situation in Granby and what is the reality of that happening, even if I gave another 10 years,'' Imse said. ``And I was not sure that we'd have an auditorium and I was not sure that we would have the staffing.''

Van Dorp said she understands Imse's frustrations, but added that the town is on the verge of resolving many of her concerns. An auditorium is included as part of the proposed high school renovation project and additional art and music staff is included in the board of education's long-range plan.

``I think that we're in a position where we're dealing with those concerns aggressively,'' Van Dorp said.